Is Georgia on your mind as a meetings destination?
“More than 80 percent of the U.S. population is within a two-hour flight from Atlanta,” says Lauren Jarrell, director of communications for the Atlanta CVB. “That benefits the entire state of Georgia. It allows people to see what the state has to offer.”
The options for groups heading to the Peach State are endless. Whether attendees want to ride horses on the beach, stroll historic promenades or attend an indie rock concert, Georgia has it covered. With development still going strong in the capital during the recession, the state remains an economically sound choice for planners.
Metro Atlanta
Atlanta’s appeal for groups is obvious. There’s plenty of elbow room: Atlanta boasts more than 92,000 hotel rooms and 12,000 rooms are within walking distance of the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC). The GWCC has 3.9 million square feet of space and is surrounded by the adjacent CNN Center, the Omni hotel, the 21-acre Centennial Olympic Park, the Georgia Dome and Philips Arena to the south, and the Georgia Aquarium and World of Coca-Cola to the north.
As part of a $13 million expansion, the aquarium added 7,000 square feet of prefunction space to its 16,400-square-foot ballroom in 2007.
Atlanta offers a lot more than plenty of breathing room. The “Big Peach” is continuing to evolve on the hotel development front, most notably on the boutique end of the spectrum. Some of the properties have been conversions of historical buildings, preserving some of Atlanta’s roots.
“Hotel investors are seeing Atlanta as this young, vibrant destination,” Jarrell says. “The city is seeing an amazing number of boutique hotels and hotels with an emphasis on the intimate. They’re not these big-box hotels.”
The 127-room Ellis Hotel, a $26 million conversion of a historic building (once the Winecoff Hotel built in 1913), is one example of the new wave of boutique properties to hit Atlanta.
The Mansion on Peachtree, A Rosewood Hotel, opened in Buckhead late last spring. The 42-story luxury boutique hotel includes 127 rooms and suites and 6,150 square feet of indoor meeting space and an English garden. The property accommodates groups of 10 to 200 people. It includes a spa and features twice-daily housekeeping service.
Another new luxury boutique offering (that’s eco-, pet- and group-friendly) is the 304-room Hotel Palomar Atlanta-Midtown, which began accepting bookings for late May. The hotel, located a few blocks from the campus of Georgia Tech, features 10,000 square feet of meeting space.
Three Starwood W hotels have opened in Atlanta in an eight-month span, embodying the vibrant attitude that Jarrell says is shaping the scene and offering options for smaller meetings. The 237-room W Atlanta-Downtown features 3,480 square feet of meeting space. The 291-room W Atlanta-Buckhead, a former Crowne Plaza property, offers 8,000 square feet of meeting space, while the largest of the three, W Atlanta-Midtown, features 466 rooms and 30,000 square feet of space. The hotel is a $96 million conversion of the former Sheraton Midtown Atlanta at Colony Square.
Along with all the new properties, Atlanta features a slew of existing meetings venues and hotels. The downtown area boasts AmericasMart, Atlanta’s wholesale mart. The entire complex totals 7.7 million square feet, but that number should not be confused with the actual amount of meeting, convention and trade show space at the property, which is 800,000 square feet.
The 1,068-room Westin Peachtree Plaza, located in the AmericasMart complex, has 80,000 square feet of meeting space.
The Atlanta Marriott Marquis includes 1,663 guest rooms, all of which were renovated two years ago. A new 25,000-square-foot ballroom and 6,000-square-foot health club and spa were built as part of the $138 million in upgrades.
Group-friendly hotels in the renowned shopping district of Buckhead, known as “Beverly Hills East,” include The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead; JW Marriott Hotel Buckhead; Westin Bulkhead Atlanta; and InterContinental Buckhead.
Midtown is home to the Georgian Terrace Hotel, with 310 guest rooms and 16,000 square feet of meeting space; the 252-room Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center, featuring 21,000 square feet of meeting space; and the Georgia Tech Global Learning and Conference Center, offering 32,000 square feet of event space.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, 10 miles south of downtown, is undergoing $5.4 billion in improvements, which include a new international terminal and a rental car facility opening in 2010.
Near the airport, the 400,000- square-foot Georgia International Convention Center (GICC) has a 150,000-square-foot exhibit hall and a 40,000-square-foot ballroom. A 400-room connected headquarters Marriott and a 150-room Springhill Suites are being built next to the center, which are scheduled to open by spring 2010. A new automated people mover will transport airport passengers to the GICC.
Just a half-mile from the airport is the Renaissance Atlanta Concourse Hotel. The property features 380 rooms, seven suites and 35,000 square feet of meeting space that includes an 11,000-square-foot ballroom.
Among the hotel openings scheduled for 2010 are a Hard Rock in downtown Atlanta; a Loews and a Mandarin Oriental in Midtown; and a 1 Hotel, a Baccarat and a St. Regis in Buckhead.
Peachtree City, 45 minutes south, provides two IACC-certified properties: the 255-room Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center, with 26,000 square feet of meeting space, and the 233-room Dolce Atlanta-Peachtree, with 54,000 square feet of meeting space.
Ten miles northwest of downtown Atlanta is Cobb County, which caters to groups with 13,000 guest rooms. The county includes Six Flags over Georgia, the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park and Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.
The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre is the relatively new home of the Atlanta Ballet and the Atlanta Opera. The venue includes catering services, a 10,000-square-foot ballroom and the 2,750-square-foot John A. Williams Theatre.
Cobb Galleria Centre offers 144,000 square feet of exhibit space and a 20,000-square-foot ballroom. The connected Renaissance Waverly includes 60,000 square feet of meeting space.
The 200-room Marietta Conference Center and Resort includes golfing and more than 20,000 square feet of meeting space.
Another meetings gem, Gwinnet Center, is located in Gwinnet County, north of downtown Atlanta. The center offers a 50,000-square-foot exhibit hall and a mammoth ballroom.
DeKalb County, with more than 12,000 hotel rooms, features the Emory Conference Center Hotel, with 23,000 square feet of conference space, and the 336-room Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort, with 32,000 square feet of event space.
The county is also known for the 3,200-acre Stone Mountain Park, with its granite monolith that features the largest bas-relief in the world. The sculpted work depicts Confederate leaders Stonewall Jackson, Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee.
North Georgia Mountains
Groups looking to escape the urban scene can soak in mountain and lake views in the Appalachians north of Atlanta.
The Lake Sidney Lanier area, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, draws groups with properties such as the 216-room Emerald Pointe Resort, which has 21,000 of event space. The city of Gainesville frames the lake and includes the Georgia Mountains Center.
Dalton, a stone’s throw from the Tennessee state line, is home to the NorthWest Georgia Trade & Convention Center, offering 143,500 square feet of available space.
Georgia has more than sweet tea to quench thirsts in the mountain region; the Chateau Elan Winery and Resort’s vineyards in Braselton produce 22 wine varietals. The resort includes a 277-room hotel, golf courses, a spa and a 25,000-square-foot conference center. Groups can also take cooking classes at the property.
Three state park lodges have event facilities: the Lodge at Amicalola Falls State Park, the Lodge at Red Top Mountain State Park and the Unicoi State Park Lodge.
More group options include the 70-suite Barnsley Gardens Resort and the 134-room Brasstown Valley Resort.
Southern Rivers
The Southern Rivers Region encompasses the southwest corner of Georgia, all the way down to the Florida state line. The area is home to two presidential attractions: the Little White House Historic Site and Museum at Warm Springs, which was Franklin D. Roosevelt’s retreat, and the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site at Plains. Major cities in the region include Columbus, Albany and Valdosta.
“What gives Columbus that ‘gee-whiz’ factor is that groups find we combine the high-tech amenities with that small-town friendliness,” says Peter Bowden, president and CEO of the Columbus CVB.
Columbus, located on the Chattahoochee River, is the state’s third-largest city.
Bowden says Columbus used to comfortably host groups of only 500 people before the 178,000-square-foot Columbus Convention and Trade Center doubled in size in 2005. The expansion and the fact that there’s been a 60 percent increase in the number of hotel rooms in Columbus since 2000 means that the city can now comfortably host groups of up to 2,000 people.
“Groups are impressed with our convention center,” Bowden says. “The interiors are so warm and inviting with exposed wood beams. We constantly get compliments about the facility, mostly along the lines of, ‘We had no idea.’”
The convention center’s in-house caterer provides a full spectrum of flavors from filet mignon to fresh field peas with snaps.
The opening of Columbus State University’s Cunningham Conference Center has helped to attract groups as well. The facility features a 5,430-square-foot banquet hall, six seminar rooms, an executive boardroom and four computer labs. Planners can tap faculty members to speak at general sessions of a conference.
Other venues include the Columbus Civic Center and the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts.
Major attractions include the Columbus Museum of Art, the Port Columbus National Civil War Naval Museum and the Coca-Cola Space Science Center. (The first Coca-Cola recipe was invented in Columbus at a drugstore by John Pemberton.)
Columbus also features Fort Benning, home of the U.S. Army’s Infantry School. The new $85 million National Infantry Museum is scheduled to open June 19. It will include a 150,000-square-foot museum, a memorial walk of honor and a 3-D IMAX Theater.
“We’re spending around 42 percent of our marketing budget on getting the word out about the museum,” Bowden says. “It will be a great facility for evening receptions.”
The largest group hotel in Columbus is the Holiday Inn Columbus North, which offers more than 200 rooms. The 177-room Columbus Marriott is built around a restored cotton mill and includes 3,800 square feet of meeting space. At press time, a 177-room Doubletree was set to open.
Albany, another community set along a river, in this case the Flint River, is worth exploration.
The town is the birthplace of Ray Charles. The Ray Charles Plaza opened here across from the city’s largest group hotel, the 122-room Hilton Garden Inn. The hotel has 13,000 square feet of meeting space. The plaza features benches in the design of piano keys and a life-sized bronze sculpture of “The Genius” playing the piano. The Albany Civic Center is next door.
A major attraction is the Flint RiverQuarium, which opened an aviary in the past year. Albany’s Civil Rights Museum expanded by 12,300 square feet last fall.
Groups coming to Valdosta in the spring will get hit with a profusion of colorful, ruffled blooms, as the “Azalea City” hosts an annual Azalea Festival in March.
Valdosta, located smack-dab between Atlanta and Orlando, features the James H. Rainwater Conference Center, which offers 11,000 square feet of meeting space and overlooks a pond lined with cypress trees. Other group options in the region include the 88-unit Lake Blackshear Resort and Golf Club at Georgia Memorial Veterans State Park near Cordele, with 10,000 square feet of event space.
The region is also famous for the 13,000-acre Callaway Gardens at Pine Mountain. Activities include boating, golfing and hiking. The resort features 100,000 square feet of meeting space.
Historic South
Georgia’s Historic South region includes the central and east-central part of the state. Major cities here are Augusta, Athens and Macon.
Augusta, being the state’s second-largest city and including the 10-block Savannah River promenade, makes the city a natural standout for meetings. Augusta sets the stage for one of golf’s most prestigious events, the Masters tournament.
Close to a promenade that’s filled with quaint parks is the city’s largest group hotel, the 372-room Augusta Marriott Hotel and Suites, with 45,000 square feet of meeting space. A new exhibit and event center that would offer 40,000 square feet of space is expected to open in late 2010.
The Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center is another possibility here. This venue includes a 23,000-square-foot arena and a 2,690-seat theater. The former 179-room Augusta Towers, with 12,000 square feet of meeting space, was rebranded a Doubletree property.
Augusta is also where James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, grew up. Visitors can tour various Brown haunts and have a meal at his favorite restaurant, TBonz Steakhouse.
Athens, the state’s fifth-largest city, sometimes referred to as “Baby A,” is home to the University of Georgia. The city continues to impress groups with its eclectic nightlife and energetic vibe. The city is a major force in indie music, sprouting musical acts R.E.M., the B-52s and Indigo Girls. The Whigs, Neutral Milk Hotel and Of Montreal are the newer names that have emerged from the Athens music scene.
“Athens is a destination that has not lost its soul,” says Hannah Smith, communications manager for the Athens CVB. “When you’re in Athens, you know you aren’t anywhere else.”
Smith isn’t just whistling Dixie. The National Trust for Historic Preservation named Athens one of its 2009 Dozen Distinctive Destinations. The neo-classical architecture speckled through the city, the diversity and a growing and sophisticated art scene helped Athens make the list.
A 100-room Hotel Indigo is expected to open this August or September within walking distance of the Classic Center. Smith says the hotel is seeking LEED Gold certification.
Macon, located in the center of the state, is famous for the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
Macon’s major meetings venue is the Macon Centreplex Coliseum, located downtown. It offers 86,000 square feet of exhibit space and a 9,100-square-foot ballroom. The largest group hotel, the 298-room Ramada Inn, is located within walking distance of the coliseum.
The 225-room Macon Marriott City Center Hotel is scheduled to open this fall next to the coliseum. The hotel will include 4,000 square feet of meeting space.
Between Atlanta and Augusta is The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation on Lake Oconee, which features 251 rooms and more than 15,000 square feet of meeting space, in addition to five golf courses.
Coastal Georgia
Georgia’s Atlantic Coast encompasses Brunswick and the Golden Isles, as well as Savannah.
Brunswick and the Golden Isles includes the city of Brunswick, with its Victorian downtown on mainland Georgia, and four barrier islands just north of Jacksonville, Fla. The isles are Sea Island, Jekyll Island, St. Simons Island and Little St. Simons Island. The region provides beaches, wildlife refuges, plenty of golf and a score of water-related activities that’s been drawing more attention from planners. Groups are well-served here with more than 240,000 square feet of meeting space.
Sea Island offers The Cloister hotel, which includes a 65,000-square-foot spa and 17,000 square feet of meeting space.
Jekyll Island boasts the 157-room Jekyll Island Club Hotel and the Jekyll Island Convention Center, the Golden Isles’ only convention arena, which features 55,000 square feet of space.
Little St. Simons, accessible only via boat from St. Simons, is a private barrier island that works as an upscale corporate retreat and site for an intimate reception.
Group-friendly spaces at St. Simons include the King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort, with 6,200 square feet of meeting space, and the Sea Palms Golf and Tennis Resort, with 7,500 square feet of function space. The St. Simons Lighthouse includes a maritime center and a museum.
The Brunswick and the Golden Isles CVB launched a new feature on its website that allows visitors to watch video podcasts. At press time, there were 22 videos on the site, such as “A Kayaking Experience,” “Georgia Sea Turtle Center” and the mysteriously titled “Waiting for Oprah.”
Eighty miles north of Brunswick is Savannah, the state’s fourth-largest city. The CVB’s tagline is “Savannah, Est. 1733,” which makes a lot of sense as it’s also the state’s oldest city. The Savannah Historic District is the hub of the city, with teeming nightlife, museums and places to people-watch. Millions of international visitors and Americans alike come to explore Savannah.
Across the Savannah River from the historic district are the 330,000-square-foot Savannah International Trade and Convention Center and the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort.
Other major group hotels are the Hyatt Regency Savannah, the Hilton Savannah DeSoto and the Savannah Marriott Riverfront, which combined offer more than 100,000 square feet of meeting space.
Albany CVB 229.317.4760 www.albanyga.com
Athens CVB 706.357.4430 www.visitathensga.com
Atlanta CVB 404.521.6600 www.atlanta.net
Augusta CVB 706.823.6600 www.augustaga.org
Brunswick and the Golden Isles CVB 912.265.0620 www.comecoastawhile.com
Cobb County CVB 678.303.2622 www.cobbcvb.com
Columbus CVB 706.322.1613 www.visitcolumbusga.com
Dalton Area CVB 706.270.9960 www.daltoncvb.com
DeKalb CVB 770.492.5000 www.dcvb.org
Georgia State Parks & Lodges 770.975.4291 www.naturallybusiness.com
Gwinnett CVB 770.623.3600 www.gcvb.org
Jekyll Island CVB 912.635.3636 www.jekyllisland.com
Macon–Bibb County CVB 478.743.1074 www.maconga.org
Savannah Area CVB 912.644.6401 www.savannahvisit.com
Valdosta–Lowndes County Tourism Authority 229.245.0513 www.valdostatourism.com
